Hero Stories

The gift of organ and tissue donation is an act of quiet heroism. The memories of our Heroes are treasured. This Hero Stories Blog is for cherished memories submitted by the families of these Heroes.

A place to honor and to remember individuals that have saved and enhanced lives.

The stories that follow tell of loss, grief, and pain, as well as rebirth, renewed purpose, and continued missions. These stories, in particular, are close to home, as they involve some of our own employees.

To find a specific story, use the search box at the top of the page or click here for mobile search.

I have set out to write a letter several times but have never quite had the courage to do so until now. I just can’t seem to wrap my head around my little boy not being here, it’s just too painful to think about. As hard as this letter is to write, I do want to try and let you know what kind of person Jeremy is to me. No matter how old he is, he is still my precious little boy. He was born on 7/11/76, one week late. I could hardly wait to meet him. I was only 17 when he was born so he and I sort of grew up together. After I graduated from high school, I enrolled in nursing school and he would often keep me up at night to study although I’m sure he didn’t realize it at the time. He is a very outgoing and lovable person, and always has been. He never met a stranger.

When we would go shopping when he was little I’d look around to see where he had disappeared to and I’d always find him talking to the sales person in the store, telling them some tall tale and making them laugh. He has blonde hair, so blonde it’s almost white and the most beautiful blue eyes, with just a hint of mischief in them. He was always doing something for someone. I remember when he was around 9 yrs. old we lived next door to an elderly woman and he was either mowing her grass or helping to bring in her groceries or whatever he could do to help her. He would always tell me "Mom make me a ‘to do’ list and when I come to visit I will take care of it.” He also had a love for animals of any kind and thought nothing of bringing home a stray cat or dog. Once when he was 10 there was an odd smell in the house I could never quite figure out. Well much to my surprise I found a shoebox under his bed full of nutria rat babies he had found and was trying to take care of without me finding out about them.

He would always try to make you laugh if he knew you were feeling down, or just because he wanted to make you smile. He joined the army and was stationed at Ft. Benning, he was such a handsome soldier. He also worked offshore for a while and then decided he needed to learn a trade so he put himself through classes and started working as an electrician. He was working at Chesapeake Energy and loved his job. He received regular promotions and his bosses loved him and thought a lot of him. He had just gotten a huge promotion and a company truck he was so very proud of. I could not have been prouder of him. They would have safety meetings at work and at the last one he put on his hazmat suit and gas mask, ran around the office building and had everyone laughing. He has the sweetest and most loving spirit.

His accident happened on 7/11/12, his 36th birthday. I had spoken to him that morning to wish him a Happy Birthday and he told me about his plans for his birthday. He was going to have dinner with his best friend they were going to grill steaks and then go on a motorcycle ride. I had already spoken to him that morning but something told me to call him again. So I called just to see how his day had gone and he was so very excited, he told me he was having a wonderful birthday, it was about an hour before his accident. His last words to me were, "I love you Mom and I’ll see you soon.” We had planned on a visit the next weekend.

I find myself thinking about him every minute of every day and probably always will. I can’t explain the loss of a child. There is always a feeling of something missing, a hole in my spirit that nothing can fill. He was my heart and I try to be grateful for the 36 yrs. God gave me to be his mother but sometimes it’s just hard to accept. I have 2 precious children Jeremy and Brandy and they are the most important things in my life, they are my life. Jeremy always lived life to the fullest, and looking for the next big adventure. I often questioned his decision to buy a motorcycle although he had grown up around them with all of his uncles riding. He so enjoyed riding and rode often. In fact the last weekend we spent together was at a motorcycle rally in April of 2012 here in Lafayette. We had the best time riding and visiting, laughing and joking, just enjoying being together. He told me Mom don’t worry, "I can’t live my life afraid to die.” And he didn’t. He was living in Texas right out of Shreveport so we didn’t get to see each other as often as we would have liked, but I treasure the time we did get to spend together.

Sometimes at night right before I fall asleep I can hear him say, "Mom I love you.” The Lord must have needed someone to make him smile, Jeremy made everyone smile. I know his donation was something he believed in strongly because he took the time and trouble to fill out the forms in both Louisiana and Texas. So I wanted to make sure his last wish was granted. So please know that what you have received is a gift from God. Please take good care of the gift and know that I pray for all the people Jeremy helped in this way. He was and still is my precious little boy.

Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency

The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) is an independent, not-for-profit organ and tissue recovery agency. LOPA's Core Purpose is Making Life Happen. We save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation.

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Thank you to Rapides Regional Medical Center for their annual Tree of Life Ceremony today! It was a wonderful, emotional gathering and an amazing experience to share with donor families. The tree is located in the South Tower Lobby of the hospital.

A quick listen to 'The Gifted Life' podcast and you'll hear our hosts repeating...ONE person can make a difference in the world of donation!
Well, Rodie of 'Metro City Driving Academy' is one of those people!
See all those forms Rodie is holding in the attached picture? Those are all registration forms! She's helping to increase Louisiana's donor registry. Her motivation? Her friend, her HERO - Daniel. His picture is a fixture on the class walls (see him in the white hat?) She also lines her walls with donation information. Daniel saved and enhanced lives through donation. Rodie wants to save more people, too - in Daniel's honor. Thanks, Rodie for helping us MAKE LIFE HAPPEN! #DonateLife #DonateLifeLA #Podcast #TheGiftedLife

Join us on DLL's Facebook page live this morning, beginning at 11:00. Ricardo "Buck" Brown's Donate Life Rose Parade Float Floragraph will be unveiled to his mother. She will be finishing her son's floragraph before it is placed on the float! @donatelifefloat #donatelife

Today is #GivingTuesday! We are asking you to give something unique today—your name. Your name can save and heal many lives. Visit YourNameSaves.org to learn more. #yournamesaves #DonateLife